Ironman Lanzarote. Looming large on my horizon and now only six days away. It's not surprising then that I find myself with a bit of free time on my hands and the cognitive capacity to string more than 140 characters together.
It was clear from around about November last year that I wold not be in a position to race at IM Melbourne and therefore a new strategy for 2014 qualification was required, which finds me here in Lanza. I think that it has surprised many that perhaps I'm not doing a 70.3 distance race first to test the waters or as a build up race. I'll not waffle on about hauling my ass back from injury, but racing before now not just did not make a good strategy for me. I need KPR points. 70.3 races don't carry much weighting outside of the championship races and essentially, if I race well at full distance, I can qualify off a 2000 point and a championship (4000 point) full distance Ironman. Well that's the plan. Let's see how we go next weekend - there is of course a plan B and a plan C!
Prior to the team camp in Mallorca, I spent a week in the UK working with Alex at the Drummond Clinic in Maidenhead. In spite of being diligent with my rolling and trigger point work, the added benefit of regular work with a good physio is immeasurable to me. Not only helping my body to recover from the training load, but also working in a proactive way that enables my joints and muscles to be more coordinated and efective in working together. In this way I'm able to get added training benefit from each s/b/r session. Just think, if my glutes are firing better, and my hip mobility is improved so there is less resistance in the pedal stroke, I'm able to push out an additional 5 Watts on the bike without any additional cardio or respiratory effort. Five Watts?! Gotta love that. Load that over a period of weeks and months and the training benefit is obvious. Similar with the run and the swim, improved joint and muscular coordination will lead to increased technical effectiveness and efficiency. Added to which, there is the more obvious injury prevention benefit side to regular work with a good physiotherapist.
I've not trained in Mallorca before, and we (the team) were staying in Colonia Sant Jordi - close to the Best Swim Centre who support the UplaceBMC team. For me, I find it inspiring to be around other athletes who are training hard. I don't just mean my team mates, but when you turn up to the pool everyday and there are 10 lanes full of lap swimmers with coaches on pool side, I find it encouraging and gives me a bit more focus in my own sessions.
Again, thank you to Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote who are supporting the UPlaceBMC Pro Triathlon Team. I arrived here nearly a week ago and the wind has been a chipper 26mph. Of course we shouldn't expect anything less. Although the temperatures have been fairly friendly at 19-27* that is all set to change next week with winds from the Sahara bumping the mercury up to a forecasted 37*. I have my factor 50 at the ready. I have one team mate here already Romain Guillaume, and Ronnie Schildnecht will arrive early next week for the race, along with the team manager Bob de Wolfe, mechanic extrordinarie Tom de Laet, Physio Alex, and of course my biggest supporter and race photographer Rob. Quite the entourage.
Roll on race day!
Thanks for swinging by & checking in -
Happy training,